Marlon Jackson Not Offended By Hey Hey It's Saturday Black Face Scandal

10 October 2009

The late Michael Jackson's brother Marlon Jackson has commented on last week's Hey Hey It's Saturday 'blackface' controversy, saying he and his family have taken no offence to it.

In case you missed it, last Wednesday's reunion episode of the classic Australian light entertainment show Hey Hey It's Saturday raised more than a few eyebrows and caused a media scurry not just here in Australia but in the US also, after a Red Faces act went awry.

A group in the infamous skit segment, who called themselves 'The Jackson Jive', reprised an act from years ago where they imitated Michael Jackson's family band The Jackson Five. As part of the skit, the performers painted their faces so that their white skin appeared black.

US singer Harry Connick Jnr was a guest judge and took offence to the act - claiming that it was racist!

Watch it below - including Daryl Somers' apology at the end





After the group performed Connick Jnr was not impressed, saying: "Man, if they turned up lookin' like that in the United States... it's be like 'Hey, Hey there's no more show'!"

The news sent conservative USA into a spin, and now Marlon Jackson has commented on it!

Marlon says he agreed it was controversial but didn't think the group meant to cause offence.

"They probably weren't trying to be offensive about it or anything of that nature with the family," Marlon said.

"We thank Harry for [speaking out], but we also understand that they weren't trying to be disrespectful for the family."

The Jackson Jive have since apologized, insisting that there was no racial discrimination intended.